The crowd dispersed.

Lin Yuan looked at the main hall with a complicated expression. He had already resigned himself to death, but he never expected that not only would he not die, but he would also get what he wanted.

But why did the princess do this?

His Majesty and the Empress sent so many people to Xianyu, but the princess sent them all back. How is she supposed to cope with this situation?

Lin Yuan knelt down in front of the main hall, kowtowed several times, and was then led away by the guards.

In the distance, in an open space, several palace servants were holding large boards and striking Luo Tai's buttocks repeatedly on a bench, while the other palace servants watched.

They all lowered their heads and looked panicked.

Since the Empress ascended the throne, the harem has become more relaxed, and the lives of the palace servants have improved significantly compared to before, with fewer instances of punishing them.

Unexpectedly, the first person to be punished was the head of the guards.

Now everyone understands that it's not that there are no rules anymore, but that the rules have changed, and those rules are Princess Mija.

The palace of Xianyu was shrouded in a gloom from Dajing.

Only Yan Qing and Mi Jia remained in the large room.

Yan Qing carefully looked at Mi Jia's beautiful face and beckoned. "Come here!"

Mika: "..."

She slowly walked over and removed Yan Qing's armor. Her slender white fingers were extremely nimble; with just a few light touches, she unfastened it. The heavy armor fell into her hands, and Mi Jia, feeling its weight, involuntarily lowered her body.

Yan Qing chuckled, caught it, and casually tossed it to the ground. The heavy armor moved with surprising ease in her hands.

Mi Jia now understands exactly how Yan Qing won against her brothers; she is truly a woman who is just as capable as any man.

The armor was clean, but the clothes underneath were soaked with blood. Mi Jia's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers trembled slightly.

Yan Qing lifted her chin. "It's not mine, it belongs to someone else. Are you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Yan Qing smiled. "Afraid I'm a serial killer, or... afraid I'm dead?"

Yan Qing's tone involuntarily carried an ambiguous undertone, and Mi Jia's heart warmed. She continued to change Yan Qing's clothes, untying the love knot one by one, her fingers trembling and weak.

Frustrated by her own uselessness, she said somewhat defiantly, "When it comes to killing, my ancestors came from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. My fellow disciples, which one of them hasn't killed countless people? They decide life and death with a single word and turn the world upside down with their hands. If those in power don't have blood on their hands, they're just empty shells. Even I, living in the inner palace, have had my hands stained with blood. It's difficult to remain kind forever as a human being."

"Just like today, many of the assassins who broke into the palace died trying to see me. The head of the guards, Luo Tai, died if His Majesty wanted him dead. Those lives will likely be attributed to me. Even though I am a woman who rarely leaves the inner palace, I cannot avoid having my hands stained with blood, let alone His Majesty."

Mi Jia was feeling somewhat depressed. What she didn't say was that because of her, Da Jing and Xian Yu had become enemies, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

Although the two countries will eventually go to war, she would rather the start date be brought forward or postponed, at least not because of her.

A look of amazement flashed in Yan Qing's eyes.

She was indeed different from everyone else.

It was worth it to search high and low, to seek the truth with all my might.

"So, you're afraid I'll die?"

Mi Jia paused as she took off Yan Qing's clothes. Her breathing became rapid and disordered, and even the air seemed to vibrate with unease.

Yan Qing laughed: "Why aren't you answering? Are you afraid to answer?"

In his words, it sounded as if a mischievous boy was mocking a girl for being timid.

Mi Jia blushed slightly and said weakly, "I'm scared!"

"Why?" Yan Qing was extremely satisfied. "Are you afraid that if I die, there will be one less person who loves you?"

She turned around abruptly to face Mi Jia, not allowing her to escape even a little bit. She ripped the robe from Mi Jia's hands, picked her up horizontally, placed her on the embroidered couch, and then rolled over and pressed herself down on top of her.

Mi Jia's face turned bright red. She closed her eyes slightly, looking resigned and letting others do as they pleased, which amused Yan Qing. "Do you know how delicious you look right now?"

The voice, filled with emotion, reached Mi Jia's ears. Her body went limp, her eyes welled with tears, and though she wanted to resist, she was too weak to move.

The red tents offer warmth in spring, but the beautiful night is too short.